The appearance of fresh produce is of significant importance to the consuming public. Fresh and especially minimally processed fruits and vegetables are susceptible to surface dehydration. The dehydration often results in a noticeable whitening of the surface of the produce that the consumer identifies with a lack of freshness. Traditional polysaccharide coatings such as starch products do not significantly prevent this problematic discoloration.
An objective of this invention is to provide edible coatings that are capable of maintaining the necessary water concentrations to prevent whitening due to surface dehydration.